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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · ground · drill · stick · wax · pitcher · foot · scale

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — a position
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — of law
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. court — for sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com